A relay station is a device that is used to interconnect a base station and a mobile station in a wireless communication network. By using a relay station, a base station may cover areas that would otherwise be inaccessible to the base station, such as the interior of a shopping center. Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) is an error control process to achieve reliable data transmission over an unreliable connection. An ARQ process is desired for a wireless communication network having both base stations and relay stations.